Happy New Year, Celebrations and More

 Welcome 2023

picture courtesy comfortspringstation.com

Hello friends!  Happy New Year to all of you.  I hope that you are well, happy and have been enjoying the Christmas season to the fullest. As my fur babies, Cassie and Garden, informed you in their Christmas post, I have had Covid for the last two weeks. I continue to recuperate and am doing well but find that coughing attacks still happen throughout the day and I need to rest frequently. From all I have read and heard this is completely normal. I am so grateful for prayers, support and love from my family, my church family, my friends and all of you, my dear readers. It has meant so very much! I am also so very grateful to have been fully vaccinated and boosted before catching Covid. I am certain that the vaccines have helped me to not have a worse case. Although Christmas Day was a bit of a downer, as I spent it in bed, I have truly enjoyed much of the Christmas holiday. I still have our lovely Christmas tree up and just love the colorful and bright lights. There are no big plans for New Year's Eve celebrations. The Mr. and I will spend it in our living room watching the ball drop. 

But guess what is happening on New Year's Day??????

We will be celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary!

Where on earth have the years gone?

It was fun to look back at our wedding photos and remember that day. The church is the one I grew up in and the members were kind in leaving their poinsettias on the altar for our New Year's wedding. The big advent wreath was still hanging above the altar and the nativity was on the altar table. See the brass quintet in the choir loft? Two of the players were our music teachers growing up. It was very special to have them play at our wedding. And my sister is at the organ while another sister was my matron of honor. The children are my nieces and nephews. The Mr.'s brother was his best man and two lifelong friends were the ushers. Our wedding was definitely a family/friend affair!

I love this stained glass window at the back of the church and I'm so glad our photographer shot this picture of us in silhouette against the stained glass. It's one of my favorite photos from our wedding day.

I love this saying that was on our wedding napkins. It is so very true that the more love is shared, the more it grows. 

It was a cold and cloudy January 1st in 1983 when we were married but we lucked out and had no snow! Here we are leaving the church in The Mr.'s Torino. We ended up having that car towed off the street about three months after we got married. But while it lasted it was a great car! It brought us to Asheville the very next day after our wedding and we began our married life together with many adventures to come! 

And here we are, 40 years later. And, yes, we're still having adventures!

The years go by so quickly. And, for many reasons, I'm kind of glad that this year is almost done. There have been too many sorrows this past year. But, I don't want life to speed by so quickly. I want to savor time, continue to enjoy being together with The Mr. and our fur babies and enjoy all the good things that life has to offer. There is so much to be grateful for. And I surely am thankful for celebrating 40 years of marriage to The Mr. on New Year's Day!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful New Year's and I will be back next week with some thoughts as 2023 gets started!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Cassie Cat Chat: The Christmas Fur Edition

 Pawsitively Ready For Christmas!

🎜🎝  "On the first day of Christmas my true cat gave to me....

🎝 "A dead mou-ouse under the tree...."

Garden, will you please stop singing that song?!  I'm trying to write a blog post for Love. 

Hey, can I help it if I'm in the Christmas spirit?! 

🎶Fa, la, la, la-la....la, la, lah.....lahhh.......

"You know you're not helping you little furball! Love has been sick and she asked me to write a post wishing all of her readers a Merry Christmas!"

Have you told her readers that Love has the pawronivirus?

Sigh...I was just getting to that. Get your four paws over here and help me find the keys. Wait, shove over, don't push me off the computer!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Anyway, as Garden was just rudely interrupting me and blurted out, Love has been sick with what she thought was a cold but turned out to be Covid.

Yeah, and we've been working our poor paws off trying to take care of her. 

That's true. I've barely gotten a cat nap in since she got sick, there has been so much to do!

Making sure the pillows are fluffed on the bed...

Giving her medicine when she needs it.....

And singing to her!!  🎜  "I'm dreaming of a full catbox...."

Garden, stop playing around! I need to get this post finished up! Go check out the food dish. 

Anyway, we have been very busy these last few days. Love is doing much better but has to continue to get better until Christmas according to orders from her veterinarian. 

Mumbled crunching from a distance...."And tell them that Softie isn't sick!"

I was just about to say that, Garden. Paws crossed that we don't have to put Softie in the kennel and take him to the vet!

So, that's the news. We all hope you have a fun and festive Christmas! Please remember the true meaning of Christmas and all of the animals surrounding baby Jesus in the manger. They were among the first to see Him!

And remind them of all the fun Christmas Movies like,"The Pawler Express and Frawsty the Furman!"

I just did, Garden. Maybe we could end this post by singing a song together? 

Hold on,  I'm coming to sing with you...

🎜 "Dashing down the hall, paws flying this-a-way

       O'er the bed we jump, meowing all the day

      Knocking over Love's glass, interrupting her nap

      We're awfully glad she loves us lots 

      And puts up with our crap! "  🎜

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Love,

Cassie and Garden 

(And Love and Softie too!)

      

*Cassie and Garden story by Debbie Ross

*photos by Bill Ross and Debbie Ross

A Little Christmas Celebration

 

Hello friends!  Thought I would share some lovely pics from the home of my friend, Ruth Ann. She is so kind to host our women's gathering each year and her Christmas decor is just beautiful! 

Ruth Ann is such a gracious hostess and has a knack for setting a beautiful table for all of us and for placing Christmas decorations in just the right places.

Aren't these place settings lovely? And looking into the kitchen you can see the lights, greenery and ribbon that bring Christmas cheer. 

How clever is this window pane in green that is just perfect for holding small Christmas decorations? So cute! Sorry that I didn't take the picture straight!

Little touches like this red bow under the mirror add a festive touch, don't you think?

And here is her beautiful tree all decorated. I cannot tell you how good the fresh pine smelled. It makes me wish for a real tree instead of an artificial one!

Pockets of Christmas were everywhere. These carolers were handmade for her as a gift many years ago. Aren't they precious?

Family antiques hold holiday decor upstairs. 

And even the bathrooms hold fun Christmas figurines that add to the festive look throughout the house!

Here's a look at some of the women in my women's group. We consider ourselves sisters in Christ and our yearly Christmas celebration is always a time of joy for all of us. We missed two ladies who were not able to be with us this year. And two other members of our group were not there yet when I snapped this photo. The laughter we shared was special indeed! (And the food was delicious too!)

And on another note, here are some lovely flowers The Mr. picked out for me as a late birthday gift. I love the red and white together and have them prominently displayed on the mantel. That's the place I have found that keeps a certain little cat (Cassie!) from getting into them. They smell good too!

I'm feeling a bit bummed today because I feel like I am taking a cold. I'm hoping it will be short-lived. (My home Covid test was negative thank goodness.) I was sick over Christmas last year and I don't want to be sick again this year! I have lots of things I want to be doing and so prayers for a quick recovery are appreciated!

Hope you are well and enjoying all of the Christmas decorations, celebrations and gatherings. I am so thankful for my friends, sisters in Christ, family and special gatherings. 

"A friend loves at all times"

Proverbs 17:17

Until Next Time,

🎄

Debbie

Christmas Tablescape and A New Christmas Sweater

 

Hello everyone!  I thought you might enjoy seeing a Christmas tablescape today so I got creative. Red is always eye-popping for the holidays and this tablescape certainly does not disappoint when it comes to including red! The red ornament tree as a centerpiece is just gorgeous and cheerful!

The place setting features Better Homes and Gardens plates in the Barn pattern with red cloth napkins and red poinsettia placemats underneath. 

Don't these plates just portray a beautiful scene? I like the fact that they can be used not only for Christmas but all Winter long. 

And as I continue to spread Christmas cheer today, here's a peek at my new Christmas sweater. I don't think it qualifies as an "ugly Christmas sweater" at all.  I appreciate that it is blue and white and could be worn after Christmas as well as during. I'm enjoying it. I haven't picked out a new Christmas sweater in a long while so it was a fun find at Sam's Club this year. They may have some left if you are interested!

How are you spreading Christmas cheer right now? 

Until Next Time,

Debbie